Cargo loading apparatus



p 7, 1965 R. w. MOWELL ETAL Re. 25,855

CARGO LOADING APPARATUS Original Filed May 19. 1960 In Mm nmm Roger wMowell John R p Inventors By u 7 M n: Attorney United States PatentOffice Re. 25,855 Reissued Sept. 7, 1965 25,855 CARGO LOADING APPARATUSRoger W. Mowell, West Caldwell, N.J., and John R. Peet,

Miami, Fla., assignors to Esso Research and Engineering Company, acorporation of Delaware Original No. 3,073,343, dated Jan. 15, 1963,Ser. No. 30,375, May 19, 1960. Application for reissue Nov. 1, 1963,Ser. No. 321,395

8 Claims. (Cl. 137-615) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the transfer of fluidsand pipeline transferable cargo. More particularly, the apparatus isconcerned with a substantially counterbalanced marine cargo transferapparatus for the transfer of petroleum products to and from marinevessels and the like, which apparatus is substantially counterbalancedin all operating positions.

In the prior art, marine loading equipment, sometimes referred to ascargo transfer devices and/ or hose handling rigs, has been normallymounted on docks and wharves and supported by combinations of craneswith multiple pulley and cable arrangements. The heavy metal pipeconnections between the marine vessel and the shore facilities haverequired substantial supporting structures and operating equipment.Hence, in the past, marine loading facilities have required complex andexpensive operating equipment with many maintenance problems.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome many of theforegoing difliculties and to reduce and simplify the structural andoperating requirements and equipment needed for the transfer of cargo.More particularly, it is an object of this invention to eliminate theneed for substantial supporting structural equipment, to reduce forcesexerted on tanker piping and manifolds, to reduce the maintenanceproblem associated with the use of multiple combinations of pullleys,cables and the like, and to simplify the construction of new marineloading rigs. These and other objects will be apparent from the moredetailed description of the invention which will follow and which willbe more fully understood from the accom panying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the inventive apparatus in apartially extended position. FIGURE 2 is a top view of the inventiveapparatus in a partially extended position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 in more detail, there is shown a rigid pipe orsupport base 11, which is supported in any suitable manner in a clock,wharf or any foundation structure for rigid mounting. On top of thisriser is located an S type swivel joint 12, which allows for horizontalplane rotation about the lower swivel bearing 13, while the upper swiveljoint bearing 14 connects with the right angled lower section of theinner boom pipe arm 15 and allows pivotal movement of the inner arm in avertical plane, substantially parallel to the riser 11. EX- tendingrearward from the inner arm 15 where it is pivotally attached to theriser is an extension arm 16 having integrally mounted on its fartherend a counterweight 17.

At the forward and upper end of the inner boom arm 15 is a pivoted Sswivel joint 18 which connects to the upper end of the outer boom arm 19and which allows pivotal movement of the inner and outer boom arms in avertical plane substantially parallel to the riser l1. Swivelly pivotedat the lower end of the outer arm is connected a double elbow 20 pivotedat 21 and 22 to allow for both horizontal and vertical movement, andwhich in operation connects to the marine tanker manifold or othersuitable connecting means.

Obviously, both simple swivel joint connections 18 and 12 may besubstituted with an alternate type of swing joint, so as to avoideccentric loading with particularly heavy boom arm structures and pipes.An alternate type of swing joint that is suitable would be a Y type ofjoint with the swivel connection located in the middle of the Y arms soas to avoid eccentric loading. This type of connection, althoughsuitable, unlike the simple S pivot connection, places certainrestrictions on the position of the outer boom arm at rest when theinner boom arm is in an elevated rest position.

Surrounding the stationary pivot point 14 is rotatably mounted an innersheave 23 which is free to rotate about the swivel 14. This sheave hasrigidly mounted and attached on the outer side a counterweight arm 24,which has a counterweight 25 integrally mounted on its farther end. Theinner sheave 23 is connected by a cable 26 to an outer rotatable sheave27 of substantially the same diameter. The outer sheave 27 is rigidlymounted to the outer boom arm and pivoted about the swivel joint 18.Cable guides 28a, b, c and d are located along the side of the innerboom arm to help guide the cable 26, to keep it under suitable tensionand to maintain the cable in its proper position. It is, of course,recognized that the device would operate satisfactorily without thecable guides and that sheaves 23 and 27 could be fitted with sprocketsfor use of a chain instead of cable 26.

From the above description, it will be understood that the weight of thecounterweight 17 and the length of the arm extension 16 can be chosen byvarying either the weight or the length of the arm from the center ofgravity which is located about the swivel joint 14. The weight andlength are chosen so as to substantially counterbalance the weight ofthe inner boom arm in all positions and the outer boom arm when it is inits rest or substantially vertical position.

The term substantially counterbalanced will be used to designate thatcondition wherein either one or both of the boom arms is or are notfully counterbalanced. In the substantially counterbalanced apparatus,the failure of the motive means of operating the apparatus or, when theapparatus is in a free unbiased state, gravity would allow the apparatusto assume a rest position. A rest position is that position wherein theinner boom arm has its counterbalanced end in the low position so thatthe inner and outer boom arms are in a substantially vertical position.In the preferred form of the invention, the inner boom arm and the outerboom arm, when in a substantiaily vertical position would beoverbalanced either full or empty to the extent of not more thanapproximately 105%, where about 100% represents a state of truecounterbalance. In addition, the outer boom arm would be underbalancedeither full or empty to the extent of not more than approximately Thus,on failure of the motive means, the overbalanced inner arm would tiltbackward, while the underbalanced outer boom would return to asubstantially vertical position, In the preferred form then, substantialcounterbalancing means a counterbalancing force or means within 5% of atrue absolute counterbalance.

To explain it in another manner, the sum of the moments about the swiveljoint 14 is made approximately equal to zero, so that the length of theextension arm 16 and the weight of the counterweight 17 willsubstantially counterbalance or fully counterbalance the weight of theinner and outer boom arms when the inner boom arm is in any position andthe outer boom arm is in a substantially vertical position. Thus, if W,represents the total weight of the inner boom arm, W the total weight ofthe outer boom arm and double elbow, W the total weight of thecounterweight 17, W the total weight of the arm extension 16, y thedistance between the center of gravity of the counterweight and thepivot point 14, x the length of the inner boom arm, 2 the length fromthe center of gravity of the arm extension to the pivot point, W thelength from the center of gravity of the inner arm to the pivot point,and 0 the vertical angle between the arm extension 16 and the riser 11,then to obtain substantial counterbalancing in all operating positions:

As can be seen from the above well known equation, the various elementsof the present inventive device can be quantitatively adjusted so longas the above equation is satisfied. The flexibility and simplicity ofthe apparatus to various loading and structural conditions is thusdemonstrated.

The same principles of counterbalancing would also apply to thecounterweight and the counterweight arm 24. In operation, thecounterweight system 17 and 16 functions to substantially or fully andautomatically counterbalance the inner boom arm in all operatingpositions and to substantially or fully counterbalance the outer boomarm as if the outer boom arm is in a substantially vertical position.The counterweight 25 and the counterweight arm 24 counterbalance theouter boom arm when it is in any operating position, i.e. when it isrotated in a vertical plane substantially parallel to the pipe riser 11about the swivel joint 18. Thus, as the outer boom arm is rotatedforward or backward out of a substantially vertical position, the outersheave rotates a proportional amount which by the cable or chain meansrotates the inner sheave so as to bring about a proportionalcounterbalancing effect by the rotation in the opposite direction of thecounterweight 25 and the counterweight arm 24 which is rigidly attachedto the rotatable inner sheave 23. The combined effect of the cooperationof the dual counterweighting masses is to provide substantial or fullyautomatic counterbalancing of both the inner and outer arms at all timesand in all positions. In another manner of explanation, it can be saidthat the outer arm counterbalancing system operates to maintain the sumof the moments at zero or substantially zero by counterbalancing thechanges in the moment of the outer arm when its center of gravity isdisplaced by its vertical plane movements.

In the general preferred and simple practice, the apparatus isconstructed to provide for a fully counterbalanced system, wherein theapparatus is capable of movement by manual means. There are certainoccasions when the preferred apparatus will be an apparatus that issubstantially counterbalanced. In this case, the inner boom arm and theouter boom arm in a substantially vertical or rest position is slightlyoverbalanced and the outer boom arm slightly underbalanced. In thisstate, upon failure of the motive operating means of the apparatus orother similar conditions, the inner and outer boom arms will eachgradually retract and assume, by means of gravitational forces, asubstantially vertical rest position. The safety aspects of thisparticular construction are thus apparent.

In a fully counterbalanced state, the inventive device can be manuallyswivelled about any of the swivel joints since the device remains inbalance in all positions. It is, of course, within the contemplation ofthis invention that modifications by reversible pneumatic, hydraulic,gear, motor, and the like means of supplying reversible motive power canbe utilized to provide horizontal and vertical movement to the movableparts of the device. For example, one modification might be theinstallation of a slewing motor to create suitable horizontal motionabout swivel joint 13 and in the vertical plane to control the movementof both the inner and/or outer arm. For another example, the outer armcould be controlled in both forward and backward motion in its verticalplane by an appropriately mounted ring gear driven by a reversible motoror other suitable means. Also, it is within the contemplation of thisinvention that the cable means controlling the motion of the outer armcan be substituted for by other means such as suitably mounted hydraulicor pneumatic automatic cylinders, chains, and the like.

In its simpler and more economic phase, the apparatus as shown insuitable; with motive means for driving cables and/or controlling theboom arms, preferred for larger and more complex operations where thepipe arms, either full or empty, are of considerable length and/orweight.

The description of the above-designed apparatus has been directed mainlytoward the loading arms in an empty condition, but it is within thecontemplation and scope of this invention that the apparatus may besuitably counterbalanced when the conduit loading arms have transfercargo in them. Substantial counterbalancing may be accomplished underthese conditions by considering the weight of the fluid in each conduitarm. Counterbalancing can then be accomplished by designing theapparatus so that the counterweights 17 and 25 are hollow or partiallyhollow so as to allow an additional and suitable amount of solid orliquid ballast to be added to increase the weight of the counterweights.Other modifications within the scope of the present invention to providefor counterweighting of the apparatus with cargo in the conduit aremeans to make counterweights 17 and 25 movable along the extension arm16 and the counterweight arm 24. These means would then allow theappropriate adjustment in lever arm lengths to provide forcounterbalancing or substantially counterbalancing the additional weightof the fluid. Suitable means or combinations for the accomplishment ofthis purpose are: fluid operated cylinders, such as pneumatic orhydraulic cylinders whereby the cylinder piston rod is used to move thecounterweight; geared track arrangements with motive or manual means toadjust position of the counterweights along the track, and the like.

In FIGURE 1, the relative positions of the outer boom arm and thecounterweight 25, when the outer boom arm is in a rest position, areshown by the use of dotted lines. Thus, when the outer boom arm is in asubstantially vertical position, the counterweight 25 assumes anonoperating position by being rotated by the movement of the outer boomarm to the vertical position shown. This location of the counterweight25 to an approximate position over the pivot point 14 of the riser andthe inner boom arm allows the inner boom arm in any operating positionand the outer boom arm in the rest position to be counterbalanced by thecounterweight system 16 and 17.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the inventive apparatus in a partiallyextended position as in FIGURE 1; and by virtue of the foregoingdescription regarding FIGURE 1 and its operation, FIGURE 2 needs littlefurther explanation. This view makes clearer the relative position ofthe counterweight systems, the sheaves, and the swivel joints. As can beseen, counterweights 25 and 17 are so designed that they can pass eachother to allow maximum flexibility in the positioning of the arms.

It can now be seen that the use of the cargo transfer device of theinvention will: (1) Permit very low weight loads on the marine tankermanifolds, (2) substantially eliminate the need for expensive rigidsupporting structures, (3) reduce the use of cables, pulleys, hoists,and the like, the transfer of cargo between vessels at sea cationproblems inherent with their use, (4) allow the economic construction ofsuitable marine loading rigs, (5) render modification of existing marinetransfer rigs quite simple and inexpensive, (6) permit thecounterbalancing or substantial counterbalancing of the inner and outerboom arms in all operating positions, (7) increase safety bysubstantially counterbalancing the apparatus so that upon power failureand the like it will assume a safe rest position, and otherwise allowdesirable advantages to be obtained in the handling and transportationof cargo.

The inventive features of this apparatus can also be profitably employedin other areas where normally heavy inner and outer boom arms areutilized, such as in cranes, aircraft cargo transfer such aslighter-than-air blirnps and the like, the transfer of cargo betweenvessels at sea and the like, and wherever random motion of one of bothof the cargo transfer mediums makes cargo transfer operations diflicultand normally places undue stress and Weight on the transfer manifolds.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus which comprises in combination: a support base; an innerboom arm pivotally connected to the support base; an outer boom armpivotally connected to the inner boom arm; a first counterbalancingmeans to substantially counterbalance the inner boom arm and the outerboom arm in a vertical position, and a second counterbalancing meansbeing mounted for rotation relative to the [outer] inner boom arm androtatable in response to the movement of the outer boom arm from avertical position to change its moment arm in a direction and an amountto substantially counterbalance the outer boom arm as it moves from saidvertical position whereby the first and second counterbalancing meanssubstantially counterbalances both the inner and outer arms in alloperating positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first counterbalancing means isa counterweight connected to the inner boom arm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second counterbalancing meanscomprises a counterweight means connected to the inner boom arm andmeans connecting said counterweight means to the outer boom arm.

4. A fluid loading apparatus which comprises in combination a standpipethrough which fluid products are introduced or discharged; an inner pipeboom arm having one end and another end and which is pivotally connectedto and in fluid communication at the one end with the standpipe; anouter pipe boom arm having a one end and a terminal end and which ispivotally connected to and in fluid communication at the one end withthe other end of the inner boom arm; a first counterbalancing means tosubstantially counterbalance the inner boom arm and the outer boom armin a vertical position, and a second counterbalancing means connected tothe inner boom arm, said second counterbalancing means being mounted forrotation relative to the [outer] inner boom arm and rotatable inresponse to the movement of the outer boom arm from a vertical positionto change its moment arm in a direction and an amount to substantiallycounterbalance the outer boom arm as it moves from said verticalposition whereby the first and second counterbalancing meanssubstantially counterbalance both the inner and outer arms in alloperating positions.

5. The fluid loading apparatus of claim 4 wherein said secondcounter-balancing means comprises counterweight means and meansconnecting the said counterweight means to the outer boom arm.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said standpipe is adaptedfor rotational movement about the vertical axis.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said outer boom has atits terminal end connective means for transferring fluids to and fromfluid containers.

8. An apparatus for the transfer of fluid products from and to marinevessels and the like, which apparatus comprises in combination: astandpipe firmly mounted in a relatively fixed position and adapted forrotational movement about its vertical axis and through which standpipefluid products enter or are discharged; an inner pipe boom arm having aone end and another end and which is pivotally connected to and in fluidcommunication at the one end with the standpipe, which boom arm isadapted for movement in a plane substantially parallel to the standpipe;an outer pipe boom arm having a one end and a terminal end and which ispivotally connected to and in fluid communication at the one end withthe other end of the inner boom arm, which boom arm is adapted formovement in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement ofthe inner boom arm and the standpipe; a first counterbalancing meanscomprising a counterweight connected to the inner boom arm tosubstantially counterbalance the inner boom arm and the outer boom armin a vertical position; a second counterbalancing means comprising acounterweight connected to a rotatable moment arm on the inner boom armwhich moment arm is mounted for rotation relative to the [outer] innerboom arm and means connecting the counterbalancing means to the outerboom arm, said second counterweight being rotatable in response to themovement of the outer boom arm from a vertical position to change itsmoment arm in a direction and an amount to substantially counterbalancethe outer boom arm as it moves from said vertical position whereby thefirst and second counterbalancing means substantially counterbalanceboth the inner and outer arms in all operating positions.

10/44 Krone.

3/60 Bily.

ISADOR WEIL, Primary Examiner.

